Search results matching tags 'Community' and 'PASS'http://sqlblog.com/search/SearchResults.aspx?o=DateDescending&tag=Community,PASS&orTags=0Search results matching tags 'Community' and 'PASS'en-USCommunityServer 2.1 SP2 (Build: 61129.1)PASS Program Committee - Comments and Actionhttp://sqlblog.com/blogs/rick_heiges/archive/2015/03/30/pass-program-committee-comments-and-action.aspxMon, 30 Mar 2015 14:58:00 GMT21093a07-8b3d-42db-8cbf-3350fcbf5496:58302RickHeiges<p>Once again, I am serving on the PASS Program Committee this year for the App Dev Track.&nbsp; As we are about to start the reviewing process, I had some thoughts that I wanted to share.&nbsp; Last year, we had approximately 200 abstracts to review.&nbsp; It should be a similar volume this year.&nbsp; For me, abstracts usually go into three piles - Excellent, Very Good, and Good.&nbsp; There are only a few "Excellent" ones and a few "Good" ones with most being "Very Good".&nbsp; There is a numerical rating system that is used, but I am using verbal descriptions here.&nbsp;I made it through about 130 abstracts last year and I entered a comment on every one that I reviewed.&nbsp; Sometimes my comments were brief, but with a large number of&nbsp;abstracts and limited time, I did what I could.&nbsp; Some on our committee were very complete in making comments which also helped when we had our conference call to discuss them.&nbsp; My goal this year is to be more complete with comments and to get through more abstracts.</p><p>As we discuss and rank the abstracts, we have some criteria that tries to keep things in balance.&nbsp; We might get 5 Excellent abstracts for a particular subtopic, but obviously we only have a limited number of slots and can't select all 5 as other subtopic areas would not get attention.&nbsp; When the selected abstracts are announced, I'm sure that a debate will surface over the process.&nbsp; The process isn't perfect, but it has worked well for the Summit in the past getting some of the best content for the attendees.&nbsp; Also, the committee members are looking at the abstracts "blindly" as the submitter's name is not disclosed to us.&nbsp; Submitters take time to craft their abstracts and have a lot of personal pride in there.&nbsp; It is hard for anyone to take a rejection and not feel personally jilted - especially if there is little to no explanation of why or how it could be improved.</p><p>If you receive a rejection this year (and odds are that you will), I'd like to offer a suggestion to channel your passion in other areas besides an online debate.&nbsp; PASS has a plethora of Virtual Chapters that need content.&nbsp; Local Chapters are also in need of speakers and great content.&nbsp; Some chapters even do remote presentations so that you don't need to travel.&nbsp; SQL Saturdays are another great avenue for delivering content and are a lot of fun as well. Find another avenue to get your content delivered and show that evil Program Committee just how bad we messed up.&nbsp; :-)</p>After Ten Years...http://sqlblog.com/blogs/rick_heiges/archive/2015/03/27/after-ten-years.aspxFri, 27 Mar 2015 16:10:00 GMT21093a07-8b3d-42db-8cbf-3350fcbf5496:58287RickHeiges<font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Life goes on and sometimes it is just time to move on.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>I am no longer with Scalability Experts.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>Looking back at all of the time that I spent
with them, I realize how fortunate that I was to be part of it.<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">I am writing this because I wanted to thank Scalability
Experts for supporting me in my involvement in the SQL Server Community.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>When I first joined SE 10 years ago, I was
very involved in PASS with my role as a Board Member.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>As a PASS BoD member, there can be some huge
demands on your time and talent.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>We had
three in-person meetings a year plus the Summit which required my physical
presence; we also had the European Conference in Germany that year.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>In addition, we also had a series of phone
calls and of course email threads and conference calls which also took up
countless hours.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>Through all of this, SE
worked with me so that I could serve the community.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>If you are considering running for the Board
of Directors for PASS, I hope that you are lucky enough to have an employment
situation like mine that will allow you to fully participate with Board
activities.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>Even after my time on the
BoD ended, SE continued to support my involvement with PASS.<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">As a consultant, travel is part of the job.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>Primarily, my travel was domestic, but I did
travel to a few places outside the USA that I would not have even
considered.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>Iceland – One of the “Get
Ready for SQL Server 2005” Roadshows got me to this location.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>It was June, so the sun didn’t set until
about 3am as I recall.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>I really enjoyed
my time there and would love to go again.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp;
</span>South Africa – I led a Compatibility lab for ISVs over three days.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>I wish that I could have had an extra day or
two there for a safari.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>I also learned
that a robot here is a traffic signal light.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp;
</span>Lisbon – Another stop on the Roadshow which was a lot of fun.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>I learned that Lisbon was the main port to
get to America until an Earthquake/Fire/Tsunami event left the city in
devastation.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>The city reminded me of San
Francisco.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>These are a few places that I
would not have visited without working for SE.<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Another part of the consultant lifestyle is working with a
lot of different customers and environments.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp;
</span>This is why “It Depends” is such a perfect answer to so many
questions.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>It truly does depend on the
situation / business requirements.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>I got
to see this first hand.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>I don’t think
that I ever dreaded going to any of my customers, but there are a few customers
that I worked with over the years that I really enjoyed working with.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>In no particular order, they are General
Mills, Mayo Clinic, Blackbaud, Disney Parks, and Chase.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>When I visit a customer, I often ask myself
would I recommend working here to a close friend.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes;">&nbsp; </span>These are the ones that really stood out to
me. <o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">I will remember all of the good times and friends that I
made while at Scalability Experts and truly thank them for supporting me with
my involvement in the community.</font></font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><o:p></o:p></font></font>&nbsp;</p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font>Some Thoughts on Event Speaker Selectionhttp://sqlblog.com/blogs/andy_leonard/archive/2014/11/26/some-thoughts-on-event-speaker-selection.aspxWed, 26 Nov 2014 11:06:00 GMT21093a07-8b3d-42db-8cbf-3350fcbf5496:56812andyleonard<p><i>I write this from the perspective of experience. I’ve helped organize dozens of events over the past ten years. Feel free to take the parts of this advice that help and discard the parts that don’t. Enjoy!</i></p> <p>Planning an event is hard work. If you’ve never volunteered to help your local User Group or SQL Saturday, I encourage you to get involved. You will work hard and put a lot into it. But I promise you will get more out of it than you put in.</p> <p>Every organizer is free to organize their event in whatever way works for them. Different organizers have different goals. Not all goals align and not all goals are compatible. And that’s as it should be. It’s important to <i>have</i> a goal, though. Don’t go into organizing an event without priorities. Perhaps your priorities will include providing a forum for first-time presenters to speak. Perhaps your priorities will include facilitating well-known technologists presenting deep-dive topics. These priorities are mutually exclusive but many other priorities are not. (There’s no rule against mutually exclusive priorities…)</p> <p><i>Thought 1: Set some priorities. </i></p> <p>You may decide to host an open call for presenters. You may decide to invite presenters to deliver certain content. Either is fine. SQL Saturdays and the PASS Summit host open calls for presentations. Each year a number of first-time presenters are selected to present at SQL Saturdays and the PASS Summit. I think this is awesome! In fact, I’ve long encouraged the PASS Summit organizers to include more first-time presenters. Although I doubt I was the only person who made this recommendation, I’m very pleased that there are more first-time presenters than ever at PASS Summit events. </p> <p>Growing first-time presenters is good for the community. Will they make mistakes? Probably. I did. Allowing first-timers to get up there and take a shot is an investment in the future of the community. </p> <p><i>Thought 2: If you’re hosting an open call for presentations, set aside some slots for first-time presenters.</i></p> <p>Speaker selection is hard, especially when there are more speakers than available speaking slots. As an organizer, priorities can help here. When I organized events, they grew in popularity to the point where we had more speakers than slots. Our selection committee decided to award a single slot to as many speakers as possible, and promised those not awarded a priority at the next event. Some speakers (few, thankfully) were unwilling to present unless they received multiple sessions. Those speakers were rarely accommodated at events for which I volunteered. While I understand the desire of a speaker to maximize the value of their travel and time, the event is about more than any one speaker.</p> <p>It is impossible to please everyone. Are you bored? Do you like a good fight? Tune into Twitter the day after PASS Summit session selections are announced. You will be sure to catch disappointment and complaints (sometimes from me!). It’s simply impossible to award everyone who submits an abstract a session. It gets even more complicated when the (non-trivial) amount of money PASS Summit pre-conference sessions generate are added to the mix. </p> <p>The fact someone complains doesn’t mean you did a bad job. It means someone doesn’t like the way you did your job. And since most organizers are volunteers, you don’t have to worry about losing any (more) money. While listening to complaints about the free hours you poured into this volunteer effort stinks to high heaven, please realize this is part of the job. If you are the type of individual who doesn’t tolerate complaints well, please do not do this to yourself!</p> <p><i>Thought 3: Realize someone is going to complain.</i></p> <p>Some of the complaints will be valid. If you select only your friends or only people who fall into this category or that, you can expect legitimate complaints. If you have more submissions than slots and you select some speakers for multiple presentations while not selecting other speakers, again, expect complaints. Ethics come into play here as well. If you select yourself, be prepared to defend your selection – especially if selecting yourself means not selecting someone else, there’s money involved (like the PASS Summit pre-conferences), you have a non-trivial personal relationship with the person selected, or some combination thereof. Remember, you don’t have to <i>be</i> wrong to <i>appear</i> wrong, and all that’s required to breach ethics is the <i>appearance</i> of misconduct. It’s usually best to simply pick someone else.</p> <p>Again, priorities can help. Be aware of the perceptions of your choices. People are lousy at reading minds, so publicly communicating your priorities in advance will diffuse mounds of misperceptions. Privately communicating with those not selected will help as well. It sounds trivial – especially when dealing with an experienced, national- or international-level speaker – to drop them a note saying, “We didn’t select you this time but we appreciate your submission and promise to give your submission priority consideration next year.” But it helps. Failure to communicate is a devastating leadership flaw, volunteer or no.</p> <p>The best response to legitimate complaints is to admit your mistake, apologize for it, and work to correct it – immediately and / or in the future.</p> <p><i>Thought 4: Respond to valid complaints.</i></p> <p>These are a few bullets I hope will help everyone managing or considering organizing an event. Thank you, event organizers, for all you do for our community!</p> <p>:{&gt;</p>Keep Your Eyes to the Skieshttp://sqlblog.com/blogs/rick_heiges/archive/2014/11/06/keep-your-eyes-to-the-skies.aspxThu, 06 Nov 2014 18:43:00 GMT21093a07-8b3d-42db-8cbf-3350fcbf5496:56302RickHeiges<p>Recently, a partner of Scalability &nbsp;Experts asked me to write a blog relating to the Day 1 Keynote of PASS Summit 2014.&nbsp; Here is a link to the post.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://blogs.cisco.com/datacenter/keeping-your-eyes-on-the-skies-a-partners-view-on-sql-server-and-ucs" target="_parent">http://blogs.cisco.com/datacenter/keeping-your-eyes-on-the-skies-a-partners-view-on-sql-server-and-ucs</a>
</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p><p class="MsoNormal">Enjoy!&nbsp;</p>Attending the PASS Summithttp://sqlblog.com/blogs/andy_leonard/archive/2014/11/04/attending-the-pass-summit.aspxTue, 04 Nov 2014 17:02:29 GMT21093a07-8b3d-42db-8cbf-3350fcbf5496:56242andyleonard<p>The PASS Summit is an annual gathering of SQL Server professionals and others interested in learning more about SQL Server. Folks come from all over. Here’s a few suggestions for getting more out of your PASS Summit experience.</p> <p><strong>“What if I’m Not There?”</strong></p> <p>Not everyone can attend the PASS Summit. You can still enjoy a taste of the activities via PASSTV, which will be streamed from the <a href="http://www.sqlpass.org/summit/2014/Home.aspx" target="_blank">PASS Summit 2014 home page</a>.</p> <p><strong>Meet New People</strong></p> <p>If this is your first (or one of your first) PASS Summit(s), don’t be shy. If you see someone you want to meet, introduce yourself. If that person is in a conversation or appears otherwise engaged (for example, if that someone is sitting outside the Subway on the fifth level of the Washington State Convention Center furiously typing a blog post… hypothetically…) say “Hi” and, if you want to talk more or discuss some technology question or even just hang out, ask if now or later is a good time. I can speak from experience, most geeks love sharing and will stop typing their blog post or whatever they’re doing to have a chat with you.</p> <p>Old timers (like me), if you see someone wearing a First Timers ribbon, <em>you introduce yourself</em>! You remember how you felt your first Summit, break the ice. Our field is disproportionately populated by introverts, take some initiative.</p> <p><strong>Be Respectful and Tolerant</strong></p> <p>Everyone believes what they believe for a reason. You do not have to agree with what someone says or does. But unless they’re trampling on others, respect their expressions. And if they <em>are</em> trampling on others, intervene. Either personally, or by finding someone who can and will intervene. PASS leadership has gone to great lengths to define a fair and practical <a href="http://www.sqlpass.org/summit/2014/AntiHarassment.aspx" target="_blank">Anti-Harassment Policy</a>. Read it. Now. And if you see someone acting in a manner you believe inconsistent with this policy, please tell someone.</p> <p><strong>Learn</strong></p> <p>Microsoft has a habit of releasing new cool stuff during the week of the PASS Summit. You can learn about it first by attending or viewing the Keynote addresses Wednesday and Thursday morning. There are too many awesome sessions at the Summit happening at the same time – it’s a fact. But you can view the sessions and powerpoints by purchasing the downloads or USB sticks loaded with them at the <a href="http://www.passboutique.com/" target="_blank">PASS Boutique</a>. Even if you cannot attend, you can buy all the content. Plus, the PASS Boutique sells other “PASS-Wear” and data geek paraphernalia. </p> <p>I would love to meet you if you’re attending the Summit. You can find me at the Linchpin People booth in the Exhibition Hall or wandering hither and yon. I will also be presenting Wednesday morning. I hope to meet you here!</p> <p>:{&gt;</p>Well Done, PASS Leadershiphttp://sqlblog.com/blogs/andy_leonard/archive/2014/09/28/well-done-pass-leadership.aspxSun, 28 Sep 2014 20:23:02 GMT21093a07-8b3d-42db-8cbf-3350fcbf5496:55476andyleonard<p>I am impressed with the response of PASS leadership to the controversy surrounding the 2014 Board of Directors election. Others have covered the topic much better than I will here, but a short version is PASS responded to the PASS Board 2013 election controversy (members with multiple email accounts receiving multiple ballots) by requiring members to identify a primary account / email address. </p> <p>The issue? Not everyone got the message. </p> <p>The initial response from PASS leadership was in line with previous responses from PASS leadership; “We’re not going to change anything” (paraphrased). I was disappointed in this response and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/andy.leonard/posts/10152756322333669" target="_blank">said</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/andy.leonard/posts/10152756493498669" target="_blank">so</a>. But then PASS leadership reversed this decision. In a blog post late Friday evening, PASS President Thomas LaRock (<a href="http://thomaslarock.com/" target="_blank">blog</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/SQLRockstar" target="_blank">@SQLRockstar</a>) posted <a href="http://www.sqlpass.org/Community/PASSBlog/tabid/1476/entryid/663/Board-of-Directors-Election-Update.aspx" target="_blank">Board of Directors Election Update</a> on the PASS blog, outlining the procedure and use cases for those who were hitherto excluded from the 2014 election process; a procedure that would allow them to vote.</p> <p>I agree with this decision but I was not impressed. This is what leaders are supposed to do. It’s doing what their constituency elected them to do.</p> <p>I <em>was</em> impressed by something I haven’t seen in PASS leadership before. (Maybe it was there and I missed it…) It’s this second paragraph from <a href="http://www.sqlpass.org/Community/PASSBlog/tabid/1476/entryid/663/Board-of-Directors-Election-Update.aspx" target="_blank">Tom’s post</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>Before I get started I want to make something very clear: <em>I accept full responsibility for all issues with the current election process.</em> Together we had, and still have, the very best of intentions. On behalf of myself and the entire PASS Board, I offer the sincerest of apologies for all of the frustration caused.</p> </blockquote> <p>Two things:</p> <ol> <li>Accepting responsibility. I’ve seen plenty of dictates handed down from the PASS Board in the past, especially when PASS leadership made unpopular decisions. I’ve been reminded of their authority. I don’t recall seeing anyone take responsibility – especially publicly. In my opinion, owning the issue is essential for leadership. I’ll go further and state that I believe <em>not</em> owning the issue is a failure of leadership.</li> <li>An apology. I believe this apology deflates the harm caused by this issue. More than that, I think this apology puts this issue to rest. Combined with doing the right thing and accepting responsibility, the apology offers closure. Unclosed issues hang out and contribute to the next controversy; they’re “stored fuel” for the next fire. That’s why it’s best to apologize early and often (bad election analogy…).</li> </ol> <p>I’ve been hoping to see changes in PASS leadership for a while now. Doing the right thing here was admirable. But accepting responsibility and apologizing was one kind of change I’ve been hoping and waiting for. </p> <p>Well done, PASS leadership. Well done.</p> <p>:{&gt;</p>24 Hours of PASS (September 2014): Recordings Now Available!http://sqlblog.com/blogs/sergio_govoni/archive/2014/09/24/24-hours-of-pass-september-2014-recordings-now-available.aspxWed, 24 Sep 2014 17:20:00 GMT21093a07-8b3d-42db-8cbf-3350fcbf5496:55400Sergio Govoni<p>Sessions of the event <a href="http://www.sqlpass.org/24hours/2014/summitpreview/About.aspx" target="_blank" mce_href="http://www.sqlpass.org/24hours/2014/summitpreview/About.aspx">24 Hours of PASS: Summit Preview Edition</a>&nbsp;(which was held on last September 9th) were recorded and now they are available for online streaming!</p><p><a href="http://www.sqlpass.org/24hours/2014/summitpreview/Schedule.aspx" target="_blank" mce_href="http://www.sqlpass.org/24hours/2014/summitpreview/Schedule.aspx"><img width="984" height="175" style="width:495px;height:90px;" src="http://sqlblog.com/files/folders/54790/download.aspx" border="0"></a></p><p>If you have missed one session in particular or the entire event, you can view it or review your preferred sessions; you can find all details <a href="http://www.sqlpass.org/24hours/2014/summitpreview/Schedule.aspx" target="_blank" mce_href="http://www.sqlpass.org/24hours/2014/summitpreview/Schedule.aspx">here</a>.</p><p>What could you aspect from the next PASS Summit? Find it out on recorded sessions of this edition of 24 Hours of PASS.</p>24 Hours of PASS (September 2014): Summit Preview Editionhttp://sqlblog.com/blogs/sergio_govoni/archive/2014/08/12/24-hours-of-pass-september-2014-summit-preview-edition.aspxTue, 12 Aug 2014 21:22:00 GMT21093a07-8b3d-42db-8cbf-3350fcbf5496:54789Sergio Govoni<p>Which sessions you can expect to find at the next <a href="http://www.sqlpass.org/summit/2014/Home.aspx" target="_blank" mce_href="http://www.sqlpass.org/summit/2014/Home.aspx">PASS Summit 2014</a> ? Find it out on September 09, 2014 (12:00 GMT) at the free online event: <a href="http://www.sqlpass.org/24hours/2014/summitpreview/Sessions.aspx" target="_blank" mce_href="http://www.sqlpass.org/24hours/2014/summitpreview/Sessions.aspx">24 Hours of PASS: Summit Preview Edition</a>.<br></p><p><a href="http://www.sqlpass.org/24hours/2014/summitpreview/Sessions.aspx" target="_blank" mce_href="http://www.sqlpass.org/24hours/2014/summitpreview/Sessions.aspx"><img width="600" height="110" style="width:600px;height:110px;" src="http://sqlblog.com/files/folders/54790/download.aspx" border="0"></a></p><p>Register now at this <a href="http://www.sqlpass.org/24hours/2014/summitpreview/Registration.aspx" target="_blank" mce_href="http://www.sqlpass.org/24hours/2014/summitpreview/Registration.aspx">link</a>.</p><p>No matter from what part of the world you will follow the event, the important thing is to know that&nbsp;they will be 24 hours of continuous training on SQL Server and Business Intelligence on your computer!</p>A Mistake, Responding Well, and a Public Call for a Public Apologyhttp://sqlblog.com/blogs/andy_leonard/archive/2014/01/04/a-mistake-responding-well-and-a-public-call-for-a-public-apology.aspxSat, 04 Jan 2014 17:30:14 GMT21093a07-8b3d-42db-8cbf-3350fcbf5496:52303andyleonard<p>I am about to break one of the rules of this blog. Years ago, I decided to never write about things that happen with clients until at least one year had passed. I am going to make an exception and write about something that happened very recently in the first part of this post. I confess I have been writing the second and third parts of this post for a couple years. I have waited to publish those parts for much the same reason I wait to write about client interaction: There is no substitute for the perspective given by time.</p> <p><strong>Part 1: A Mistake</strong></p> <p><em>“Nothing Has Changed”</em></p> <p>It was the last possible day to load the Operational Data Store (ODS) with data that would be used for 2013 year-end reporting. Automation was weeks away. The team had been working for weeks on a manual checklist for the load. Since some of the team had planned vacation time approaching, others were cross-trained to execute their portions of the checklist. It was a clean hand-off of work between professionals. </p> <p>The end-of-year load was scheduled for a Saturday. Early in the week before the Production load, I backed up the Production ODS, restored it to the Development server, and practiced. My part of the checklist contained over 100 manual steps. I ran through them three times, with analysis following each load. Tweaks were made each time. By Friday afternoon all were confident the load would succeed without a hitch.</p> <p>I began walking through my checklist, executing the load in Production, at 4:00 AM Saturday morning. The Production database was largely static, since the loads were occurring manually and infrequently. I had a backup that was a few days old. I distinctly remember thinking, “Nothing has changed; if I need it, I’ll just use that backup.” My engineering-spidey-sense tingled a little but I ignored it. “Nothing has changed,” I told myself again. Sitting here now, typing this, I know what you know as you sit there reading this: That was an assumption. A rather stupid assumption, at that. </p> <p>I have excuses. </p> <ol> <li>No one told me additional data had been loaded into the Production ODS. As a data professional, I am the data’s keeper. People should not <em>have</em> to tell me about changes. I should operate as if no one tells me anything. I should execute defensively. What am I defending? The integrity of the data. As excuses go, this is weak. </li> <li>Our team made exceptions to our own rules. On larger consulting gigs, we work in pairs. On smaller gigs, we work alone but share our thoughts and plans with other team members. There’s no substitute for a second set of eyes. Why did we deviate? Vacations and holidays conspired with an immovable deadline; the end of the year could not be postponed. This excuse falls into the combination-of-tolerances / comedy-of-errors category. Somewhat avoidable with better planning, but mostly inevitable once the second end of the candle was lit.</li> <li>I was exhausted. As a data professional and as a consultant, I owe it to my clients to work only when I am capable of performing at my very best. It must be “A Game” or “no game.” That’s one of the reasons the aforementioned vacations were not cancelled – even though an important deadline loomed. It’s the reason we strive to travel during the week and not on weekends. And that’s the way it is most of the time. This was that one exception brought about by the perfect storm of the amount and nature of the work remaining and a deadline that could not be moved. This excuse has some validity.</li> </ol> <p>Excuses stink. The short version of a long story is: The Production ODS load didn’t work like the three loads I practiced in Development. Hindsight is 20/20 and looking back, I realize the reason my practice loads worked differently from the Production load was data had been added to the Production ODS since my earlier backup. This prompted the execution of “Plan B.” When I executed Plan B and restored from the earlier backup, I effectively deleted the data I didn’t know had been added and then re-executed my 100+ steps. Not surprisingly, this load went much better.</p> <p>Something <em>had</em> changed.</p> <p><em>“What Do I Do Now?”</em></p> <p>I was made aware of the missing data during a meeting. The VP who owned the system that was expecting the data I wiped out was in attendance. It wasn’t an ambush – merely a coincidence. The team is just that small. I put the pieces together quickly in my mind and thought, “What do I do now?” I wanted to remedy the mistake, but I didn’t have a time machine that would allow me to go back and smack myself in the head at 4:00 AM Saturday. So I spoke up, “I know exactly how that happened. It was me. I restored from an older backup. Durnit! That was stupid of me. I apologize.” No one was happy I had deleted data from the Production system. But they acknowledged my apology and we moved forward with the meeting.</p> <p>After the meeting, still motivated to remedy my mistake, I contacted the developer who had loaded the now-missing data. I apologized to her and offered to help reload the data. As is often the case in our line of work, the hard part was figuring out which data to load, how to find and validate and cleanse it. The actual data-loading part is minor by comparison. Plus, she had saved her work. Reloading would take a few minutes. She appreciated my apology and offer, though.</p> <p><em>Happy Ending</em></p> <p>By sheer serendipity, my error worked in our favor. The ODS is a source for downstream systems, and it proved a lot easier to load one of those systems without the additional data present. With less effort we loaded that system, reloaded the data I deleted, and moved forward. All’s well that ends well, right? </p> <p>No. </p> <p>All’s well that we manage with integrity and intelligence. </p> <p><strong>Part 2: Responding Well</strong></p> <p>Several apology-generating incidents (AGIs) occurred around the same time. You can read about a couple of them here:</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/SQLServerCentral/105392/" target="_blank">SQLServerCentral is issuing a public apology to Itzik Ben-Gan</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Editorial/105649/" target="_blank">This is how to fail</a></li> </ul> <p><em>Responding to Plagiarism</em></p> <p>In the first instance, a content author plagiarized Itzik Ben-Gan’s content from his book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0735658366" target="_blank">Microsoft SQL Server 2012 High-Performance T-SQL Using Window Functions</a>. Once the plagiarism was identified, <a href="http://SQLServerCentral.com" target="_blank">SQL Server Central</a> issued a public apology and held a contest which gave away 10 copies of the book – generating 10 sales for the book. </p> <p>Why did SQL Server Central apologize? I think that’s a great question. SQL Server Central apologized because they are the organization – the website backed by a corporation – that published the plagiarized material. Did SSC intentionally publish the stolen ideas? Goodness no. It was a mistake. </p> <p>Everyone makes mistakes.</p> <p>Just like my mistake with the backup, they didn’t realize it was a mistake until after the damage was done. And, just like my mistake, they took immediate action to rectify the matter. First, they acknowledged their error and apologized. Second, they did what they could to correct the negative impact by purchasing copies of Mr. Ben-Gan’s book for the contest. Both responses were appropriate. Kudos to SQL Server Central for stepping up.</p> <p><em>Buffer Overflow</em></p> <p>Tim Mitchell wrote an SSC guest editorial about <a href="http://bufferapp.com/" target="_blank">Buffer</a>’s response to hacking. In October, Buffer was hacked. Spammy messages, appearing as though sent by Buffer users, began appearing on social media profiles of Buffer users. As <a href="http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Editorial/105649/" target="_blank">Tim notes</a>: To Buffer’s credit, <em><a href="http://open.bufferapp.com/buffer-has-been-hacked-here-is-whats-going-on/" target="_blank">they opted for transparency before they really knew what was happening</a></em>. </p> <p>In and of itself, this is simply awesome. But that’s not all. Joel Gascoigne, Buffer’s CEO, wrote the post himself, and he opened with this line:</p> <blockquote> <p><em>I wanted to post a quick update and apologize for the awful experience we’ve caused many of you on your weekend.</em></p> </blockquote> <p>The ninth word in Joel’s initial update on the topic is “apologize.” </p> <p>Everyone makes mistakes. </p> <p>I make mistakes like the incident described in Part 1. SQL Server Central didn’t catch the plagiarism until after the article was published. Buffer detected a breach soon after it occurred. In each case an apology was issued early. </p> <p>Apologies are most effective when they are delivered immediately. But given the choice between late and never, late works. Which brings me to …</p> <p><strong>Part 3: A Public Call for a Public Apology</strong></p> <p>For the reasons I outlined in <a href="http://sqlblog.com/blogs/andy_leonard/archive/2010/08/23/more-thoughts-on-the-pass-election-2010.aspx" target="_blank">this post</a>, I believe the Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS) owes Steve Jones a public apology. </p> <p>Not everyone agrees with my original thoughts and I do not expect everyone to agree with my public call for a public apology. Before scrolling to the comment text area, please read and consider these next thoughts.</p> <p><em>Do Apologies Convey Weakness?</em></p> <p>I know some believe apologies convey weakness and I disagree. In fact, the opposite is true. Everyone makes mistakes. By definition, mistakes are not intentional. Admitting a mistake and apologizing demonstrates an awareness of this reality. Conversely, not apologizing could be interpreted to mean, “We never make mistakes,” and that is not a healthy or helpful way to think.</p> <p><em>Do Apologies Admit Malice?</em></p> <p>Goodness no. A <a href="http://thomaslarock.com" target="_blank">wise person</a> recently wrote <a href="http://thomaslarock.com/2013/12/what-is-your-macguffin/" target="_blank">we should always assume good intentions</a>. I concur. I didn’t intentionally wipe data from that database. SQL Server Central didn’t intentionally publish plagiarized material. And Buffer didn’t leave a back door open for hackers.</p> <p>Everyone makes mistakes. Stuff happens. Even when we mean well. Apologizing is a way to admit, “We know you didn’t like the way this happened and we’re sorry you were hurt.”</p> <p><em>Why Are You Asking for a Public Apology Publicly?</em></p> <p>I’ve made this request to members of PASS leadership privately. Repeatedly. I’ve pleaded, in fact. Why? I believe this is a blemish on PASS’s relationship with the SQL Server Community. PASS leadership alternately positions itself as community leaders and as <em>the</em> community. I will not address the merits of either argument in this post, but I will point out that the 2010 elections episode is pivotal in the history of the relationship between PASS and the SQL Server Community.</p> <p><em>Why Are You Doing This</em> Now<em>?</em></p> <p>“It has been 3.5 years. Why <em>now</em>, Andy?” That’s an excellent question. </p> <p>Zerost, I love the SQL Server Community. And I love PASS. I felt – and still feel – the 2010 PASS elections were a dark hour for both. Truthfully, most SQL Server Community members are not aware of details. Most of those who are aware of the details stopped worrying about them long ago – some because they felt it futile to “fight city hall;” some because they didn’t see an issue with the decision itself, only with the response / reaction to the decision; some for other reasons; and some just because. I respect everyone’s decision. I firmly believe people do the things they do and believe the things they believe for reasons that make sense to them. </p> <p>I will never win a PASSion Award, but it won’t be for lack of passion for both the PASS organization and the SQL Server Community. I care deeply about both. I perceive a divide between PASS leadership and the Community and I would like for that wall to be removed. I believe this dark hour is the strongest part of that wall. I know PASS and the Community are stronger and better together. </p> <p>First, I have changed. My initial reaction to the decision to not allow Steve Jones on the 2010 PASS Board of Directors ballot was not positive. The decision by PASS leadership hurt my friend and I was ticked. At the top of this post, I mention my policy of not blogging about incidents until at least one year has passed because time brings perspective. I needed time to move from a place of not-wanting-to-help to a place of wanting-to-help. It took a while. A long while. I am there now. And I want to help.</p> <p>Second, PASS leadership has changed. The makeup of the Board of Directors, Executive Committee – even Corporate Founders – has changed. Kevin Kline points out many ramifications of CA leaving the PASS Board of Directors in his excellent post, <a href="http://sqlblog.com/blogs/kevin_kline/archive/2013/12/31/what-s-the-hidden-issue-in-the-recent-pass-bylaw-changes.aspx" target="_blank">What’s the Hidden Issue in the Recent PASS Bylaw Changes?</a> But it goes deeper than that: Thomas LaRock is now President of PASS. I know Tom and, like most people who know him, hold him in high regard. I respect Tom. I like Tom. I expect him to lead PASS well, and differently. I am not so naïve as to think Tom can single-handedly solve every challenge PASS faces. But I am confident he can continue to nudge the organization in the best direction. </p> <p>I believe PASS has been moving in a better direction since 2010, but I do not believe PASS leadership has crossed the middle point between where it was and where it needs to be. </p> <p>That last statement is completely subjective. At this time and in this post, I choose not to discuss the reasons I feel this way. As I stated earlier, people believe things for a reason. I have many reasons for believing what I believe about this. For now, I will engage with anyone privately to discuss what I believe and why – there’s an Email link in the “This Blog” section of this page – up and to the right.</p> <p>In my opinion, the real shame would be for us to look back 3.5 years hence with this issue still unaddressed. </p> <p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p> <p>I believe PASS, the organization, should apologize to Steve. Publicly. I think the way PASS treated Steve was a mistake. I think everyone realizes that. I think an apology is the appropriate response and I believe an apology can be made with integrity.</p>Looking Back at PASS Summit 2013 - Locationhttp://sqlblog.com/blogs/rick_heiges/archive/2013/11/04/looking-back-at-pass-summit-2013-location.aspxMon, 04 Nov 2013 15:52:00 GMT21093a07-8b3d-42db-8cbf-3350fcbf5496:51592RickHeiges<p>Now that it has been a few weeks since the Summit, I wanted to look back at the location "experiment".</p><p>Convention Center - It seemed to work well for the conference.&nbsp; There were quite a few areas in the area where you could sit down and get some work down or have a discussion.&nbsp; For the larger welcome reception the first night, I really liked the different areas.&nbsp; If you wanted to enjoy the Quiz Bowl, the ballroom area was set up nicely with big screens so that everyone could see and hear.&nbsp; The area right outside the ballroom and the outside patio area were good for people who wanted to have a conversation among friends while enjoying food and drink.&nbsp; The light rail system came right through the middle of the convention center.&nbsp; I wasn't crazy about this becasue it meant some extra walking to get from some breakout rooms to others.&nbsp; I also did not like being limited to two sets of escalators to get to/from the Expo Hall.&nbsp; I really liked the wide aisles in the Expo Hall as it helped to prevent traffic jams.&nbsp; The food provided here was in line with other convention center food.</p><p>Hotels - I booked my room late and had to stay a few more blocks away.&nbsp; It was about 10-15 minute walk, but it was easy and good exercise for me.&nbsp; Generally the prices for hotel rooms seemed fair for a downtown location, but an attendee could have a choice if booking the hotel early enough.</p><p>Food / Drink - Much of the time away from the Convention Center is spent in a restaurant / bar / tavern.&nbsp; There were lots of choices within easy walking distance.&nbsp; Our friends at SQL Sentry provided a shuttle for attendees to get to all of the "hot spots" in Charlotte.&nbsp; I found the shuttle to be of great value and added to the summit experience.&nbsp; Thanks SQL Sentry!</p><p>Attendees - Location also has an impact on where the attendees come from.&nbsp; I know that I personally met quite a few folks from NC that would most likely not be at the Summit in Seattle.&nbsp; I also spoke to a group of 7 folks from the same company that drove an extended van from Ohio to get to the Summit. I myself chose PASS in 2001 over several other conferences because it was scheduled to be in Orlando.&nbsp; Location definitely has a big impact on where attendees come from.</p><p>Microsoft Involvement - I knew going in that the number of Microsoft Folks would be considerably less than in Seattle.&nbsp; It just makes sense.&nbsp; I still had some great interaction with MSFT folks, but I missed having off-beat conversations with developers who were just there for the day.&nbsp; In the MSFT area in the Expo hall, there was an area for Chalk Talks.&nbsp; I would spend more time here next year as I got to hear more from Conor Cunningham and David DeWitt at this venue.</p><p>IMHO, Charlotte is a viable option for future Summits.&nbsp; There are lots of things to consider when selecting a site.&nbsp; Looking back at the other non-Seattle Locations that we have been, I would put Charlotte at the top of the list.&nbsp; I would probably shy away from the Gaylord properties like the ones we used in Orlando and Dallas.&nbsp; At that point in time for the size of the Summit, those locations worked, but would be too small now.&nbsp; The PASS Summit has conintued to grow each year.&nbsp; It is not far-fetched to think that a larger venue like those used by TechEd will be the only viable option inthe future.&nbsp;I think this was good to get out of Seattle for a year, but Seattle should be the primary "home" for the Summit with an occasional alternate site every 3-4 years.</p>